Friday, December 16, 2011

Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson (Book 1 of The Seventh World Trilogy) Giveaway Included!!

HEY EVERYONE,


And now, at last, it is time for a interview with Rachel Starr Thomson AND a GIVE AWAY! 
Yes indeed! So, if you want a FREE copy of Worlds Unseen, comment on this post! Winner will be picked at random. Isn't that fun!!! I can't wait to see who wins! 


Merry Christmas a bit early! 
Carol 

1. What atmosphere helps you write best? Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
I write best in a quiet, uncluttered, open space--my office has a great big window right beside my desk that looks out over a field and a pond, and that's about perfect! I've typically lived (and worked) in households full of people, so "quiet" isn't always doable, in which case I've learned to put on headphones and play instrumental music to create my own mental space. (Lyrics are too distracting.) I have a hard time working if I feel closed in, whether by a tight space or by clutter.

2. Can you tell us a little about Worlds Unseen and the Seventh World Trilogy?
The Seventh World Trilogy (Worlds Unseen, Burning Light, and Coming Day) took shape in my imagination when I transported elements of the Protestant Reformation to a fantasy world, one that is part-medieval and part-Victorian. It’s a story about people who find out that the world as they know it is built on lies; that their real history is contained in myths and legends that have been suppressed for centuries—but that the truth is about to break into their world, in the form of evil creatures and powerfully good beings that are at war. Maggie, Nicolas, Virginia and the rest find themselves challenged and transformed as they take their own places in the story.

3. Can you tell us about the allegorical/symbolic elements to Worlds Unseen?
That's a great question! I should start by saying that the trilogy isn't straight allegory in any way--but as it grew out of my own spiritual journey, it definitely has points of intersection :). The most obvious allegorical element in Worlds Unseen is that the character of "the King," the forgotten creator, ruler, and "heart of the world," corresponds loosely to God in Jesus Christ. And I see a lot of parallels between the Seventh World and ours: the way people have forgotten about their own origins and history, even working to cover it up, because knowledge of the past requires something of us in the present. But of course, when we do that, we have a serious price to pay in the future, because where we've come from directly affects where we're going. The Gifted have some parallel in spiritually gifted and sensitive people I know; the Blackness parallels the forces of darkness in our world.

4. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing Worlds?
That I could write a "real book"! I had written two other complete novels prior to Worlds Unseen, but they were short--just over 100 pages each. I didn't think I was capable of writing something in the more standard 300-400 page vein. Turns out I can--and have done many times since. In a deeper sense, I have continued to be surprised by how much a story I wrote can teach me about my own life as I live it. There's a lot of meaning in the trilogy that I'm just starting to see.

5. What do you hope people will take away from the story?
An understanding that there is more to the world than they can see, and an urge to seek out the truth and know Reality for themselves.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Dangerous Journey Of Sherman The Sheep by Dean Davis (Fall Fiction Fling!)

And now it is time for the last book in our Fall Fiction Fling selections.

For a limited time you can get this one FREE for Kindle! Download it from here: 


There are two different book covers, one is the E-book cover. 




THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY OF SHERMAN THE SHEEP

An Allegory for Kids
by Dean Davis
"Beautifully written. Highly recommended for use in a setting, either family or group, where you can take time to reflect and share on what has been read.... A must-read!"~ The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
When Sherman, a carefree lamb in the Good Shepherd's flock, grows into a young ram, he longs for adventure and acceptance by his peers. So, against his father's warnings, he climbs "Pleasure Mountain." There he encounters strange new enticements and dangers which at first seem exciting, but finally prove more than a young ram can handle on his own. Sherman finally admits his father was right when he called it "Sin Mountain," but how will he escape and get back to the fold? And what great adventure has the Shepherd prepared for him?


Book Pricing, length, and info....


Retail price: $9.99
PUBLISHER'S CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Dec. 12-17 only: $5.49 at:
Book Info:
Fiction / Youth (For ages 6 to 12 - or kids of all ages)
Trade Paperback 160 pgs / 5" x 7"
Discussion/Activity Guide Available (Included in eBook)

e-Book Version
Buy Now in Amazon Kindle store for $3.99
Kids are using e-readers such as Kindles too. Buy as a gift for a Kid with a Kindle!Or buy for your own e-reader and read it to your kids.
Watch Dean Davis reading a short, 4-minute section of The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep:

Author Bio:
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dean earned a degree in philosophy from U.C. Santa Cruz. After several unsatisfying years on Sin Mountain, the Good Shepherd rescued him, and eventually Dean became a pastor and Bible teacher in Santa Rosa, California, where he currently resides.
Dean has often worked with children and youth, and enjoys story telling. He is currently director of Come Let Us Reason, a Bible teaching ministry specializing in the study of apologetics and the biblical worldview.
Dean and his wife, Linda, are the parents of two sons and three daughters, all of whom have flown the family nest. In addition to The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep, Dean has authored nonfiction books including In Search of the Beginning and The Test: A Seeker's Journey to the Meaning of Life (Pleasant Word).

To know Dean better, we asked him these questions:
What attracted you to writing, and in particular, writing an allegory?
Dean: I trace my interest in writing back to the early 1970s, the time of my spiritual awakening. The more I read, the more I saw; the more I saw, the more I wanted to communicate. Soon, I began to write short stories, poems, and essays. When, after a good deal of wandering, the Lord brought me into His fold, my desire to relate fresh insights resurfaced and intensified. From the very beginning of my Christian walk I admired a famous old painting called The Good Shepherd, in which we see a Shepherd (with face hidden) rescuing a sheep trapped on a mountain ledge. That picture said it all. It also suggested a story which I told, with ever-increasing embellishments, to my children. Eventually, some of the folks who heard me tell it at church asked me to write it down. As I wrote, I found myself targeting adolescent - or pre-adolescent - boys, who today are in desperate need of godly role models, a clear vision of manhood, and a revelation of the thrill of genuine Christian discipleship. I started out telling my own story - which is simply "the old, old story" - in a way that young boys could grasp. Soon, however, I realized that an allegory was taking shape under my fingers, one that could well speak to kids of all ages. I hope it has, and I hope it will.
Tell us a little bit about Sherman.
Dean: "All we like sheep have gone astray," says Isaiah. In that sense Sherman represents any Christian whom Christ has graciously and lovingly rescued from sin. But I'd say Sherman specially represents kids who have grown up in the church but wandered away or have been tempted to try adventuring up "Sin Mountain." Dudley, on the other hand, is more like me - the guy who never had the advantage of a Christian family, but whom the Lord, with a mighty stretch of his long arm, somehow found.
Did you receive inspiration from watching your own five children?
Dean: Most definitely, especially from my two sons. Like Bertram (Sherman's father in the book), I observed their interest in the things of God, and also their interest in the things of the world. Like Bertram, I was concerned. Like Bertram, I wanted to be the voice of the Lord into their young lives, and the grace of the Lord, if and when they should fail. Sherman is not just for sons and daughters, but for dads and moms as well. I hope the story will encourage parents to trust in a good and sovereign God, and to aspire to work skillfully with Him as He ministers through them to His young ones.
You are a skilled writer of allegory. Are you a fan of writers such as C.S. Lewis?
Dean: I am definitely a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. Those wonderful books penetrated to the depths, and I enthusiastically read them to all my children. I believe that in their fantasies Lewis and Tolkien did what they set out to do: to get a fresh hearing for the gospel among moderns hardened to the gospel. And they did it by giving us memorable characters shaped by the gospel, so we could see anew what godly Christian boys, girls, men, and women look like. If The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep will give the tiniest such peek to an impressionable tween, I will be pleased indeed.
Describe your typical writing session.
Dean: I like to compose on my computer. I have a wonderful homemade table that allows me to do so standing up (saves the back big time)! I'm a pretty slow writer: An excellent day's work will come to two or three pages. I suffer no interruptions, but toil on in more or less complete silence, holed up in my downstairs office. I keep lots of hot drinks by my side and take an occasional break to run upstairs and check out the latest developments in politics.
What other activities do you enjoy?
Dean: My wife, Linda, and I enjoy bicycling. I enjoy hitting a bucket of balls at the local golf course and sitting down for a pork tostada at Lepe's, my favorite Mexican restaurant.
Have you written other stories like The Dangerous Journey of Sherman the Sheep, for families to read together?
Dean: I have a few other stories tucked away in my heart; but they're on the back burner till I get a few theological projects out of my craw. I'm almost always writing. These days I enjoy posting short articles on my blog: devotionals, letters, essays, etc. Currently I'm doing a series on how to interpret Old Testament prophecies of the Kingdom of God.
Where on the Internet can people find you?
Dean: At my website: http://www.clr4u.org
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Corus The Champion by D. Barkley Briggs (Book Two in Legends of Karac Tor)

You should be reading this series! 


So as you start, I will pass you the link to my review of the first book. The Book of Names. 
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/2009/01/book-of-names-legends-of-karac-tor-by-d.html
Corus The Champion picks right up where The Book of Names left off. I would highly recommend you read this series in order if you can. 


As I was getting ready for this book review, I first re-read The Book of Names. I just didn't want to be behind at all with this fantastic series.  I was struck more deeply this time with Hayden and the plight of the Nameless. The ones who were lost, stripped and bereft of their identities were now ones that I related to more than before. I also feel so much closer to the boys now in book two. Hayden, Gabe, Garret, and Ewan are really growing and developing. They are getting stronger, and becoming more mature, and closer to their callings. I am really enjoying seeing that. In Corus The Champion I am watching character being built. The characters that we are growing to become very fond of are bonding, and learning, and starting to figure out some of the why they are where they are, and who the enemy is. 


That leads me to the last known champion of this realm of Karac Tor, Corus. He has been in torment, being ripped apart physically and emotionally by the enemy. This creature would be called a demon, or just about Satan in almost anyone's book. He has the head of a stag, and it is his evil mark on a few of those who follow him. He rules Hel, and he has so tortured and twisted Corus till not even Corus is sure of who he really wants to be anymore, or if he only wants free of the curse he is under. If that means killing the king who sleeps, well, he just might have to do that. {And on a personal note I say oh yes, that is how the enemy works on us, till we are so hurt and confused that the truth is hard to see, and that small voice that leads us hard to hear at times. }


Our four brothers are off in all different directions. Some have been dealing with the Fey, and others learning more about the Monks, and yet another is just trying to stay alive and deliver messages, while one is in massive training of some sort. We are learning more about the different  races, Birdmen, Highlander, Vineland and Bitterland. They aren't all friendly towards each other and the boys are going to have to figure out who to trust and how to cope with this as well. 



I can't help but love Tal Yssen. I sometimes wonder if he is an echo of many things from Mr. Briggs himself. As long as I can remember I have loved Merlin and the Knights of the Round Table. I spent many a happy hour reading different authors versions, or added tales of Camelot. 
This series is very much in this genera of books, and being Christian Fiction it just makes me enjoy it even more. 


I could probably type for quite a while on many many things in this book. So far this series is epic and amazing. I HIGHLY recommend this series, and I need to find somewhere to get book three, The Song of Unmaking. 


Carol 



In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. 


Book link -  http://www.amazon.com/Corus-Champion-Legends-Karac-Tor/dp/0899578640/
Author’s Web site  - http://hiddenlands.net/index.php?Itemid=49&id=19&option=com_content&task=view


Gillian Adams
Noah Arsenault
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
CSFF Blog Tour
Carol Bruce Collett
Theresa Dunlap
April Erwin
Victor Gentile
Nikole Hahn
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Christopher Hopper
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Marzabeth
Shannon McDermott
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
Nicole White
Rachel Wyant
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Love Rekindled by Candi Adermatt - (Fall Fiction Fling!)

Hi Everyone!

It is time for our next to last book in this years Fall Fiction Fling!


Today we are looking at Love Rekindled by Candi Adermatt.


LOVE REKINDLED
A Novel
by Candi Adermatt
Description:
When a wayward husband comes back into the lives of his wife and sons after years of separation, will they believe he has changed ... and can they forgive him? As a medical crisis forces the family members to face their fears, hurts and true desires, and the conflict develops toward a surprise resolution, the reader will feel the ebb and flow of subtle emotional tensions. Here's a relationship story with a twist - told from the man's point of view.
Review Quotes:
"Candy Adermatt's style of writing is captivating." ~ Charlene West, The Quiet Hour
"A wonderful story of redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation... Beautifully addresses issues such as suffering, meaning, spiritual commitment, and the truth that people can change. Adermatt's ability to develop characters and express the complexity of their relationships is evident." ~ Dr. Holli Eaton
"The style of writing that keeps me interested and wanting more -- flowing and not excessively wordy. Not only is the story in itself riveting, but through it Candi also conveys the values of hope, forgiveness, and family relationships. I plan to give everyone I know a copy of this book!" ~ Stephanie Miyake
Read First Chapter:
www.cladach.com/LOVE-REKINDLED-excerpt.html
Purchasing Info:
Trade Paperback
201 pgs
$12.97
Available through most book outlets.
JUST RELEASED in
http://amzn.com/B006GWP9O8
Direct from the publisher at http://cladach.com/Love-Rekindled.html
where it is on sale this week for$9.74
Author Bio:
Candi belongs to the East Valley Authors writers group and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She has a B.A. degree in Business and works at Azusa Pacific University. She writes novels about contemporary issues from a Christian perspective that are the type of stories she wishes had been available to her as a young woman. Candi and her husband enjoy their four grown sons and their families and make their home in Southern California.
More Info at:
http://cladach.com/Love-Rekindled.html

Below is the book trailer. 





About Candi:
Candi enjoys writing romance and contemporary novels. Candi has a bachelor's degree in Business and Applied Management from Azusa Pacific University, where she works as executive assistant in the office of the provost. Candi and her husband, Dave, enjoy their four sons and their families. The Adermatts reside in Southern California.

Interview with Candi Adermatt:
You're such a prolific writer. What gave you the itch to write?
Candi: Stories have filtered through my brain as far back as my memory can take me. I imagined myself as each character as they appeared in my head and became part of the story. That's pretty much the way things continued through the years. Several years ago the company that I worked for went into bankruptcy and layoffs were imminent. My boss asked me what career path I might choose if money wasn't an issue. Without hesitation I said, "I'd write a book." When I went home that night and told my husband of our conversation, he said, "Well, why don't you just do that? You don't have to be unemployed to write a book." With those words of wisdom, I began to write.
How did the idea of LOVE REKINDLED come to you?
Candi: I like tackling topics that aren't generally read about in Christian fiction. I wanted readers to be able to feel the wife's pain, the child's struggle with abandonment issues, and the stark reality for the husband because of his infidelity. I also wanted it to be an encouragement to anyone who had ever had to live through this heartbreaking situation.
Is there something you typically do while writing - like drink coffee or listen to music?
Candi: Yes, I always listen to music while I write, usually my favorite Christian radio station. That and a good cup of coffee are good writing buddies. In the absence of coffee and an internet connection for the radio station, my iPod and laptop are just as supportive.
Tell us about an activity you enjoy in your day-to-day life.
Candi: My husband and I are avid explorers and rock hounds. We love to go off-roading in search of all kinds of treasure (his license plate is GLDIGGR). He researches old books, maps, and archives that tell where gold was found or loot might be buried, and off we go with our metal detector in pursuit. We have never found anything of real value, other than the thrill of the hunt and the joy of being together. Love it!
What kind of a reader are you? Avid? Sporadic? What do you read most?
Candi: I love to read, usually contemporary Christian romance novels. The difficulty with that, though, is that it keeps me from writing. When I am in a serious writing mode (once I get started on a story, I don't want to stop writing until the story is finished), I don't read at all, as it interrupts my thought process. I almost never read a newspaper or magazine, unless it contains some story that someone has recommended to me. I much prefer to create my own reality!
What other novels are you writing?
Candi: I wrote several novels before and after LOVE RELINDLED. Most of these are Christian romances. The earlier ones still need a lot of polish. The most recent ones are ready for the eyes of a publisher.
Where on the Internet can people find you?
Candi: You can find me on my author page at www.cladach.com/Adermatt.html or contact me by email: cadermatt "at" gmail.com
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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson (Book 1 of The Seventh World Trilogy) Givaway coming!

Alright!

After suffering with no net for more days than I thought possible, here we are!
This is another part of the good stuff I told you I would be bringing you about Worlds Unseen by Rachel Starr Thomson. ALSO--- I am giving away a free copy of her second book in the Trilogy. Check back in on the 9th of this month! It will be in e-book format that works with almost anything you can think of. (Nook, Kindle, Kindle in your PC, etc.)

Carol

And now more from Rachel Starr Thomson!

Where Life and Art Converge

Elsewhere on this blog tour, I wrote about reading responsibly by reading books that enable us to live better lives (http://bluerosesheart.blogspot.com/2011/11/reader-responsible-guest-post-by-rachel.html). I’ve also written about the writer as servant, spending time at this solitary pursuit for the purpose of “washing the feet” of others and putting truth into sharp relief, whether through fiction or through nonfiction (http://www.phylliswheeler.com/writer-servant-rachel-starr-thomson/). The question of where life and art meet is often asked, and it always seems ironic to me: art is a part of life. It flows out of it (dead men don’t paint) and so of course it flows back into it: art of any kind is the work of living souls, and its power is in touching other living souls.

I think this is true of all art forms, but maybe it’s easiest to see in the case of writing. Life and writing converge all over the place. My real-life faith in God is undergirded, challenged, and grown by the writings we know as the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The insight into people’s hearts that I’ve gained from honest autobiography and maybe-even-more honest fiction enriches my relationships and grows compassion in me. My intellect is challenged by things I read, and that challenge makes my conversations more powerful and more able to affect myself and others. Reading may be escapism, but the escape is only momentary—like someone coming back from a vacation with renewed energy and enthusiasm for the daily grind, I come out of books more equipped and more energized for life.

As a graduated reader—i.e. a writer—I’ve found this to be true in many unexpected ways. The Seventh World Trilogy (Worlds Unseen, Burning Light, and Coming Day) is a fantasy story which, besides being about people and places like all stories are, deals with questions of reality and deception; of the natural and supernatural and the “veil” between them; of the nature and outworking of faith; of the importance of beginnings and endings, and of what happens when we don’t know our own beginnings. I never realized how much the story would connect with real life for me, yet it’s happened over and over again.

The really fascinating thing to me is how many of the themes which have emerged as the strongest in the series weren’t conscious while I was writing. That of beginnings, for example. The people of the Seventh World are headed for an unspeakably dark future, and are turning their backs on their only hope, because they’ve bought a lie about where they came from. More and more I realize how much Genesis matters: that we were created by a particular God whose nature is revealed in the Bible; that we were created in his image; that we fell, through deception, into temptation; and that our whole future is based on that beginning. That origin matters to every person individually, though we may seldom think about it.

Another theme that came out in the books and which has converged startlingly with my life is that of believing without seeing. Some of the characters in the Seventh World “see” (especially Virginia Ramsey, the blind seer); others have to walk in faith alone—believing based on real evidence, but called upon to trust without sight. My own life has played out that story more and more as the years have gone by. So often I want to see and can only trust. But trust in a good God is always vindicated in the end.

The best convergence of life and art is that which enhances and enriches reality, lifting our eyes to see truth and love and God. Often, having lifted our eyes, our most appropriate response is art again: a song, a painting, a story. The convergence can happen in unexpected times and places. But this, I suspect, is what art is really for.

--
You can follow along with the rest of the blog tour, at
http://www.phylliswheeler.com (Nov 21), http://www.shannonmcdermott.com (Nov 23, Dec 5), http://carolkeen.blogspot.com (Nov 26, Dec 2, and Dec 9), http://bluerosesheart.blogspot.com (Nov 28), www.lindsayafranklin.com/blog/ (Nov 30, Dec 7), and www.sarahsawyer.com (Dec. 9)
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